The present invention relates to an automatic ironing machine for ironing the neck and shoulder portions of a cloth article.
As is known, for ironing the neck portion of a cloth article in general, and in particular of jackets, are conventionally used ironing apparatus including substantially a bottom framework defining a fixed bottom shaping element, or manikin part, thereon the jacket is applied, and a top movable shaping element, or manikin part, which is driven toward the fixed shaping element in order to properly iron the cloth article.
In these prior ironing machines, the movable shaping element is driven by a rotary movement, which is susceptible to generate a very great horizontal feeding movement for the top shaping element supporting arms, with consequent great dangers for the machine operator.
Further prior solutions provide to support the top shaping element by means adapted to perform vertical movements: however, these vertical movements must be necessarily limited to a comparatively narrow range, in order to prevent the vertical size of the ironing machine from being excessively increased.
Accordingly, the ironing operations are greatly hindered, since the machine operator can not properly see the working surface of the ironing machine.